It's Time to Tell
by DannyFan66
Summary: Kind of a 'Wonderful Life' story with a twist. Three parts...Niles and CC, some Max/Fran. Let me know what you think! Thanks - FoG
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the characters of 'The Nanny'…yet.

A/N Kind of a 'Wonderful Life' story with a twist. Three part series. Let me know what you think. - FoG

**Time To Tell - Niles**

"Niles…come on, Sweetie, you need to wake up." The voice was familiar but distant. Niles wasn't sure he'd really heard anything. "Niles Andrew Brightmore, I said wake up!" Niles popped up in his bed and looked around his room.

"Who's there?" Niles wasn't really afraid, but so very few people knew his full name he had to run the short list through his head. "Maman, Dad, Max, Sara, that's it."

"It's ok, Sweetie, don't be afraid. It's just a dream, but you need to pay attention." The familiar voice spoke softly to him again.

"I don't understand, why can't I see you?" Niles spoke to the darkness.

"Are you sure you're ready? I don't want you to freak out." The voice said with almost comic tone.

Niles eyes grew large as the faint vision became fuller and clearer at the foot of his bed. "Hey, Sweetie, I've missed you."

"I must have gotten some bad pork or something." Niles blinked several times and the vision didn't change. "This isn't happening."

The spirit before him was familiar and had been very dear to him. The spirit, which now seemed very real, sat on the edge of Niles' bed. "No, Sweetie, you didn't have any bad pork. You know very well that Mr. Wong's has the best Chinese food in the city." Niles shook his head still not sure about what he saw sitting next to him. "Look behind you, Sweetie."

Niles turned and looked behind where he sat and saw himself asleep in his bed. "I feel sick," Niles said flatly.

"Niles, come on, I have another appointment. We need to get to started." The figure announced quietly.

"You still have to keep appointments?" Niles was shocked.

"Yes, but only on special occasions." The figure answered.

"If I'm still…" Niles paused and pointed over his shoulder. "…there, then how can I be here, too?"

"I told you, Sweetie, it's just a dream. But an important dream, that's why all the dramatics. You know I don't usually go for this sort of thing." The figure put its hand on Niles' leg. "Now are you ready?"

Niles nodded. "I'm not going to have to fly around 18th century London or anything am I? I'm not really dressed for that kind of trip."

The figure smiled at him. "I really have missed you, Niles. No, we're not even leaving this room. We're just going to watch a little…home movie if you will."

"Ok, let 'er rip!" Niles smiled at his odd companion. "I wish I'd made some popcorn."

The figure sat with Niles and watched at faint pictures moved across the wall. "Do you remember this day?" Niles watched two young boys he knew to be Max and himself kick the soccer ball around the park near their childhood home in England. Niles smiled at the memory. "I couldn't have been more than twelve."

"That's right. It was you're birthday." Niles nodded. The picture changed to a little blonde girl in a sailor suit. She was being pushed around by another group of girls. Niles watched as the younger version of him went to her rescue.

"_Hey…leave her alone!" The other girls ran off and Niles extended his hand to help her up from the ground. "Are you alright?" She looked up at him and he saw the tear slip out of her clear blue eyes. _Niles watched himself in amazement.

_The little girl spoke. "They said that I have a nanny 'cause no one loves me and no one ever will."_

"_Hey, don't let them bother you." He brushed the tear away. "And don't ever let anyone push you around. No one can tell you who you are. You're strong and you're beautiful. You make your own way." The little girl smiled at him._

"_You're very handsome," She said and giggled._

_The young Niles blushed and lowered his eyes. "Thanks, but my friend is the handsome one." _

_The little girl looked over the boys shoulder and lifted his chin. "Nah…to pretty." They laughed. Young Niles was just about to invite the little girl to play when her nanny came up and pulled her off._

The figure spoke. "You changed that little girl's life in that one moment, Niles. She never let anyone ever pick on her again…almost. Let's watch the next one, shall we?"

Niles just nodded still thinking about that little girl. Then he saw Max in his college graduation robe.

"_Congratulations Max!" Niles shook his friend's hand. "I knew you'd get through it without me." Niles grinned._

"_Just barely, old man," Max answered. "If you hadn't traveled back and forth from Oxford and the… the training academy every weekend to help me study, I'd have failed for sure." A pretty blonde girl came up to them both._

"_Niles! I'm so glad to see you!" She threw her arms around his neck._

_Niles blushed. "Hi, Sara. How have you been?"_

"_Getting along, Sweetie, what about you?" Sara asked him._

"_I'm quite well, Sara. If you'll excuse me, I see a former professor, and I'd like to say hello." Niles excused himself and left them. _

The figure patted Niles' back. "Remember, Niles. You got Max through school. It doesn't matter how you came to be there."

"I guess." Niles shrugged.

When the next pictures started to flash on the wall Niles shook his head. "No, please don't make me watch these. I barely survived it. I can't go through it again."

"Alright, Niles. I won't make you watch it all, but this one part, you must see." The figure lifted Niles' chin and made him watch.

"_Mr. Sheffield, Sir…Mr. Sheffield…Max!" Niles nearly screamed to the barely recognizable man sitting behind the big wooden desk. _

"_Go away, Niles. Leave me alone! I don't want to see anyone." Max let his head drop onto his desk and he sobbed. _

_Niles took a deep cleansing breath and looked skyward and whispered. "Forgive me, Sara." Niles crossed around to Max and dragged him up out of the chair. "Now you listen to me Max. I'm your best friend and I know you're suffering. We're all suffering. I loved Sara, too, and so did the children. So I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and watch you wallow in your drunken world of self pity while your children need you. And they do need you, Max, now more than ever before. So you get your ass upstairs; shower, shave and sober up so you can grieve with your children." _

"Wow, that was pretty severe don't you think, given the situation?" The familiar voice asked Niles.

Niles sat very still. "No."

"You're right, he cleaned up his act after that didn't he?" The figure asked. Niles just nodded.

"This is the last part, Niles, I promise. But most of it will be painful, just remember they're shadows, lessons you must learn." The figure stood and stepped away. "Do you remember all the pictures we've seen tonight?" Niles nods. "This is how different the world would've been had you not been a part of those pictures…

The little girl being picked on in the park that day…her name is Chastity Claire… That's right Niles…CC… If you hadn't been there to stop those girls and to say what you did… This is where CC Babcock would be today…

"_Hey! I'm home!" He was a large and angry looking man in a very expensive suit. "Chastity, where the hell are you! Why aren't you here with my damn drink?" _

_A very different looking CC runs into the room. She's still beautiful, but the spark, the fire is gone. Her eyes are dull and she looks desperately sad. "I'm sorry, John, I'm sorry. The delivery man was at the back door and I…" CC didn't get to finish before his hand came across her face with a loud crack taking CC to the floor. _

Niles nearly leapt off the bed. "Shadows, my friend," The figure said.

_CC's mouth was bleeding and she was shaking as she looked up and begged the man. "Please, John, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."_

"_Screwing the delivery man? You're nothing but a whore. Chastity… what a joke. If it wasn't for your money I'd have been gone a long time ago." John hauled CC up off the floor and tossed her into a chair. "Don't bother with dinner, I've got a date. Don't wait up." The ape left the room and CC crumbled into a ball and sobbed. _

Niles sat in his bed and shook with fear and anger. He couldn't believe that was his CC. Not all those years ago and certainly not in the pictures he just saw. She's right down the hall, isn't she? Please God let her be right down the hall. Niles thought to himself.

The figure touched Niles' shoulder. "I'm sorry, Niles. But you had to see…they're just shadows, lessons…" The figure stepped away again.

"You remember what Max said about your traveling back and forth to help him study?" Niles nods. "Well this is where Max would be today, if you hadn't been there to get him through school.

_The next set of pictures started flashing up on the wall. Andrew Lloyd Webber paced in his office. "Sheffield!...Sheffield, where are you with those scripts!"_

_Max came running into the office carrying a large pile of scripts and managed to trip on his way to putting them on the desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Webber. I'll get this mess cleaned up straight away."_

"_You know, Sheffield, I had hoped you'd over come failing out of school. I mean, it's been quite some time. But you've been here for years and you're still not doing very well." Andrew Lloyd-Webber wasn't cross with Max more embarrassed for him._

_Max was stacking the scripts on Mr. Webber's desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Webber, I'll try harder. I really love my work. And my wife, you've met her, Sara? We've just had another baby, that's three and I can't afford to lose this job."_

"_If your father hadn't invested a huge amount of money in my company, I'd have never given you the job. Why don't you just ask your father for money?" Webber practically scoffed._

_Max looked at the floor. "My parents cut me off and rescinded my trust fund when I failed out of school. After all, according to them it wasn't rocket science it was a theatre program."_

"_Well," Webber started. "I suppose you can stay on as long as you don't get in anyone's way."_

"_Oh, thank you, Sir. I'll keep out of the way, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Max backed out of the office._

Niles wasn't sobbing anymore, but he still sniffled. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Don't worry, Niles, it's alright." The figure assured him. "This next part will be difficult, but please, remember; it's a shadow, a lesson that's all." Niles nodded that he understood. "You remember that day in Max's office, when you told him off…after…"

"Yes, please don't say it. I remember." Niles couldn't bare even the mention of Sara's death. "You saved them all that day. If you hadn't been there to…chat with Max, this is the fate that awaited them…"

_The pictures flashed across the wall. And Niles nearly gasped at what he saw. It was a cemetery. There was a large headstone that read 'Sheffield' and listed below it were Sara, the date of her birth and that other terrible date. Then there was Maxwell and again two dates. The date of his birth and another date, a month after Niles 'didn't' confront Max in his office._

_Then the picture changed to some New York City streetscape. There was a young woman about Maggie's age. She was dressed quite inappropriately. A car pulled up and the girl leaned in the window. "Hey, Mister, ya wanna party?" Then she got in the car and it pulled away._

_The picture changed again. It was a court room. And the judge was just about to speak. "Will the juvenile and his representative please rise. "Brighton Millhouse Sheffield, you are found guilty of armed robbery with intent to do bodily harm. Since you are underage you will be sent to a juvenile detention center until your eighteenth birthday at which time your sentence will be revisited."_

_The next picture was back at the cemetery. It was that same headstone. Sheffield, Sara and Max, then the camera panned to another smaller headstone which read Grace Elizabeth Sheffield her birth date and the date of her death. _

Niles sobbed openly. "She was only a baby." The figure touched his shoulder and Niles jumped. "Go away, why are you showing me these things?"

The voice whispered. "You have to know your value, Niles." The figure was beginning to fade. "We've come to the last of them Niles. Now if you weren't ever around, weren't ever born maybe, you've seen what would've happened to everyone else, this is what Fran would be doing now…"

"_I know, Ma. I thought it was going well too. How was I to know that Danny was just a pig?" Fran sat next to Sylvia on the plastic covered sofa. _

"_Maybe you could win him back?" Sylvia took nearly the entire Twinkie into her mouth. "I mean it's not like selling cosmetics door to door is gonna help ya find a man. You should count yourself lucky, Francine."_

"_I know Ma. I went to a really big house today and the maid who answered the door wouldn't even let me in. She said something about 'the Misses wouldn't be caught speaking to gutter trash like me. Can you imagine, Ma? I'm never leaving Flushin' again. There's nothin' on that side of the bridge that interests me."_

"_You're a good girl, Franny. You'll find your prince some day." Sylvia got up and left Fran in the living room._

"_I'll be you if the butler had answered the door I'd have gotten in!" Fran stood and followed her mother into the kitchen._

Niles smiled at Fran's last comment. "You surely would have, Miss Fine."

"Now do you understand you're value, Niles?" The figure was nearly transparent now. "I'll leave you with something else you should see. Take care of them for me. Take care of you for me, too. **It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. It's time to tell. Tell her.** Good bye, my friend. I'll miss you, Sweetie, always."

Niles turned toward the voice. "Good bye, Sara."

After Sara's spirit finally faded the pictures on the wall changed again this time to the very recent past. Niles gasped when he saw his own face on the wall.

His face went ghostly white and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed. Then he saw CC, his CC sobbing at his side. "Please, God, no. Don't you dare die on me, Niles." The paramedics had no choice but to allow CC to ride with him in the ambulance, she refused to release his hand. "Maggie," CC called. "Call your parents in London and drive Brighton and Gracie to the hospital."

"Did she just refer to Dad and Fran as our parents?" Brighton asked. Still in shock at everything that happened.

Gracie sobbed. "Maggie, Niles is going to be alright, isn't he?"

Maggie tried to control her tears. "I hope so Gracie, I hope so."

The pictures changed again to CC in the ambulance with the unresponsive Niles. The paramedics worked quickly taking Niles' vital signs and putting in his IV. CC wept, like he'd never seen her before, not even when Sara… "Niles…please don't die." CC whispered. CC bent down next to his ear and whispered again. "Don't give up Niles. I need you…I…love you." CC wept again.

Niles sat in shock. "She loves me?"

The picture changed a little and Fran and Max were in a hospital corridor. "I can't believe Niles had a heart attack. Why did I ever leave home? Why did I ever go to London?" Fran cried softly.

Max tried to comfort her. "Miss Fine, you can't blame yourself."

"Was I talkin' to you?" Fran shrugged him off.

CC came out of a room, beautiful as ever, but she looked distraught. "Oh you're here."

"Oh, CC, thank God, where is he is he alright?"

CC tried to explain. "He's in there." CC waves back to the room. "I don't know. Oh Maxwell everything was perfectly normal. I said to Niles I'd wished I'd gone to England with you and he said, 'Oh sure you could've visited your old neighborhood, Stonehenge. And I said, 'Oh, you mean the place where the rocks are older than yours?" Fran and Max nod knowingly. "Which I thought was so clever. And then the scariest thing happened…"

Fran whined, "He had the heart attack?"

"No, no, not yet. There I was waiting for a zinger." CC paused, then whispered, "and nothing." Fran gasped. "I even set him up again. I said, 'don't make me get ugly.' But his eyes just rolled up into his head and he collapsed on the floor." CC started sobbing.

The picture changes and the doctor comes out of Niles' room and finds Max and Fran. "Oh, Doctor, I'm Maxwell Sheffield, Niles' employer how is he?"

"Well, he suffered a mild heart attack, but I'm very optimistic. Come on you can see him." The doctor responded and took them into the room.

Fran cried again. "Oh, Mr. Sheffield look, he looks so helpless."

"Oh, Doctor listen this man has stood by me my whole life. You have to help him, whatever it takes. Money is no object."

Niles doesn't remember when he lay back down or if he'd ever actually been sitting up in the first place. But he remembered her, Sara. She was there, as real to him as she'd ever been. And she wanted him to know how important he was in the lives of the people he loved. The remainder of the night was quite restful.

"Niles!" Gracie bounded into his room. "Merry Christmas, Niles!" Grace grabbed Niles' hand and started pulling him out of his bed.

When Grace finally got him to his feet, Niles wrapped her in a huge hug. "Merry Christmas, to you, my dear Miss Grace." Then he placed a little kiss on her head and a single tear slipped from his eye.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to any of the characters of 'The Nanny.'

A/N Pretty much my all time favorite TV couple. I know it's a long time coming, but I really wanted to finally get the story out on paper. Well, I guess it's not really paper but you understand…

**Time To Tell - CC**

Chas…come on, Chas, you need to wake up." The voice was familiar but seemed far away. CC couldn't be sure she'd heard anything at all. "Chastity Clair Babcock, I said wake up!" CC shot up in her bed in the guest room and searched it with her eyes.

"Who's there? Niles if this is some game I'll kill you." CC new she'd heard that voice before, but Niles didn't know her full name. "Mother, Dad, DD, Noel, Sara, no one else."

"It's alright, CC. You didn't have that much to drink, it's just a dream, but you really have to listen." The familiar voice spoke sternly to her.

"I don't understand, why can't I see you?" CC asked the voice.

"Well, I wanted you make sure you were ready. I don't want an emergency call to Dr. Bort." The voice knew CC very well.

CC's faced showed her shock as the wispy vision became clearer and more real at the foot of her bed. "Hey, Chas, I've missed you."

"Why did I eat that Chinese food? Even some of Niles' left over Rosemary Chicken would've been better." CC rubbed her eyes several times yet the vision didn't change. "This doesn't happen."

The spirit stood before her looking as if it were the last time they'd been together. This spirit, which now seemed very real, climbed up and sat next to CC. "No, Chas, Niles' Rosemary Chicken has sage in it, you're allergic."

CC made a face. "I'd take a little itching over hallucinations any day.

The spirit whispered. "Look behind you, Chas."

CC turned and looked behind where she sat and saw herself still asleep. "I'm gonna be sick," CC said flatly.

"Chas, come on, I have another appointment. We need to get to this." The figure cut to it.

"You still have appointments?" CC asked, "For what?"

"Yes, for special occasions." The figure answered.

"If I'm still sleeping…" CC paused. "…then how can I be here, talking, too?"

"I told you, Chas, it's just a dream. But an important dream, that's why all the dramatics. You know that was always more of Max's thing." The figure put its hand on CC's leg. "Ya ready?"

CC nodded. "This isn't going to be some sort of bizarre flight over the city showing me all the people I've been terrible to, is it? I'd really rather just get some sleep."

The figure smiled at her. "I really have missed you, Chas. No, we're not leaving this room. We're just going to watch a little…home movie if you will."

"Oh great, just what I need on Christmas Eve!" CC tried to smile. "I'll never forgive you for this."

The figure sat on CC's bed and watched as faint pictures moved across the wall. "Do you remember this day?" CC nodded as she saw a younger version of herself in a pretty sailor suit. Nanny Bobo took me to the park. "She needed an excuse to see her boyfriend the Carter's gardener. I couldn't have been more than six years old."

"That's right. Do you remember what happened there?" CC nodded. The picture changed and the little blonde girl in a sailor suit was being pushed around by another group of girls. CC watched as the younger version of her was pushed to the ground.

"_Hey…leave her alone!" The other girls ran off and a young boy with reddish blonde hair extended his hand to help her up from the ground. "Are you alright?" CC looked up at him and a tear slipped out of her clear blue eyes._ CC watched herself in amazement.

_Little CC sniffled. "They said that I have a nanny 'cause no one loves me and no one ever will."_

_The boy shook his head. "Hey, don't let them bother you." He brushed the tear away. "And don't ever let anyone push you around. No one can tell you who you are. You're strong and you're beautiful. You make your own way." _

"_You're very handsome," CC said and giggled._

_The young boy blushed and lowered his eyes. "Thanks, but my friend is the handsome one." _

_The little girl looked over the boys shoulder and lifted his chin. "Nah…to pretty." They laughed. The boy looked like he was about to speak but Nanny Bobo came up and pulled CC off. _

The figure spoke. "That little boy changed your life that day, CC. You never let anyone ever pick on you again…well, almost. Let's watch the next one, shall we?"

CC just nodded still thinking about that little boy.

The pictures changed to Max's college graduation. He was with Sara talking to a man CC thought looked familiar, but she only saw him from the back as he walked away from them.

"_Sara!" CC called. "I have been looking all over for you!"_

"_CC!" Sara hugged the CC tightly. "Max, this is my dearest friend in the world. CC Babcock. She's a business and finance major, minoring in Theatre." Sara leaned in pretending to whisper. "She's brilliant."_

_Max smiled at CC as she rolled her eyes at the praise. "It's nice to finally meet you, CC. I may be in need of your services after you graduate."_

"_Max is going to produce plays and musicals!" Sara beamed at her friend._

_CC grinned. "I love the theatre. Are you going to America?"_

"_Eventually, I want to get my feet wet here first." Max answered. "Still, I imagine we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the mean time. Since you're Sara's best friend an all." Max pulled Sara in for a hug and kissed her cheek._

"I was so happy for them." CC recalled.

The figure spoke. "Chas, you know Max barely graduated Oxford. He had the help of a dear friend." CC looked a little confused. It was that man who was leaving as you arrived." CC nodded.

When the next pictures started to flash on the wall CC shook her head. "No, please don't make me watch these. I can't go through it again."

"Alright, Chas, I won't make you watch. But this one part, you must see." The figure touched CC's shoulder.

CC sniffled, "Alright."

"_Miss Babcock, Miss Babcock..." Niles sighed heavily at the sight of the drunken CC lying on the office sofa. Niles lifted CC easily off the sofa and carried her up to the guest room where she'd stayed often. "I don't know who taught you that the bottle was the way to handle grief, but if I ever find out I'll personally ring their neck." Niles softly kicked the door open and easily pulled down the blankets and laid CC in the bed. He slipped off her shoes and covered her. Got a glass of water and two aspirin from the bathroom and put them on the table. "I miss her too, my friend. I miss her too." Niles looked at her for a moment and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "Sleep peacefully, Miss Babcock." Then Niles turned and left the room._

"Wow…I never knew…I mean I always suspected it had to be Niles, Max was so…" CC started to explain.

"Wait…" The figure cut her off. There's more, CC. Keep watching."

"…_What the hell do you mean you don't know?" Niles barked at Max who sat drunk at his desk._

"_I don't remember, Niles. We ate dinner and we drank and she was dancing with some guy so I left." Max slurred at him._

_Niles grabbed the very drunk Max by the collar and yelled. "You just left her there drunk with some guy? Where?"  
_

"_Where what?" Max tried to focus._

"_The bar, Max, what bar where you drinking in?" Niles spat._

"_Baker Street on 63__rd__." Max whined. Niles exploded out of the house and the pictures on the wall changed to just outside 'Baker Street'._

"_Sure, baby, I can take you home." The surly man oozed as he supported a very drunk CC coming out of the bar. "We just need to make one stop first."_

"_Oh…" CC paused. "I don't think that's a good idea. I have to work tomorrow." _

_Niles barely waited for the cab to stop before he leapt out of the back and called to the driver, "Wait!" Niles made it to CC and the man in three steps. "Hey, you…get your hands off my wife!"_

_The man and CC shared a look of shock. "Oh, Niles, Honey…" CC extended an arm for him._

_The man spat at Niles. "How do I know you're her husband? I think she really wants to go home with me." He tried to pull CC back._

_Niles grabbed CC from the man. "If I wasn't, would I come out at all hours of the night looking for her?" _

_CC fell into Niles' arms. "Oh, Niles…do you really love me?"_

_Niles looked into CC's red rimmed eyes. "Of course, my love. Always have, always will." Niles swept CC into his arms and carried her back to the taxi._

CC cried. "I had no idea I let myself get so bad. I don't even remember that."

"Do you want to see what happens next?" The figure asked. "We could skip it; it's a little sappy, really."

"No…" CC said. "I'd like to see it, please."

_The pictures changed again. Niles opened the door to CC's apartment and sat her on the sofa. He closed the door and went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water and some aspirin. When he came around the counter heading back to her she threw a vase of flowers at his head. She missed. "CC…what the hell is that for?"_

"_Why are you in my apartment, Niles?" CC slugged off her coat._

_Niles didn't mention Max. "You had a little too much to drink and I wanted to see you home safely." He handed her the water and medicine and she took them. _

"He didn't blame Max?" CC looked at the figure.

"_I'm going to be sick." CC tried to stand and fell into Niles. _

_Niles lifted her again. "Let's get to the bathroom, then." He took her back to the bathroom and she dropped to the floor and started emptying her stomach. Niles carefully pulled back her hair and ran some water on a washcloth. When she'd finished, Niles handed her the cloth and helped her to stand. She leaned on the sink and quickly cleaned her mouth and Niles helped her get into bed and pulled up the covers. Niles turned to leave and asked, "Do you need anything else?"_

"_Don't leave, Niles. Stay 'til I fall asleep…please." CC's eyes fluttered._

_Niles sat on the edge of the bed. "Alright." _

"_Niles?" CC started._

"_Yes, Miss Babcock?" Niles responded._

"_You really love me?" CC's eyes closed._

"_Of course, my love. Always have, always will." Niles leaned down and kissed her forehead waited for her to fall asleep and left._

"I don't believe it. It's always been Niles, hasn't it?" CC turned to look at the spirit. "Why am I not surprised to hear myself say it?"

"This is the last part. Taking each of the pictures we've seen as separate entities, each apart from the other the outcomes of your life would have been very different save for one consistency. That's the lesson you must learn tonight. I want you to know these next images are merely shadows. Are you ready?"

"What must Ia learn?" CC asked.

"Just watch, Chas…watch and you'll see…" The voice responded. The boy in the park that day…his name is Niles…"

CC's eyes grew big. "Niles? My…"

The figure smiled. "That's right CC… Your Niles. If he hadn't been there to stop those girls and say what he did… This is where you would be today…

"_Hey! I'm home!" He was a large and angry looking man in a very expensive suit. "Chastity, where the hell are you! Why aren't you here with my damn drink?" _

_A very different looking CC runs into the room. She's still beautiful, but the spark, the fire is gone. Her eyes are dull and she looks desperately sad. "I'm sorry, John, I'm sorry. The delivery man was at the back door and I…" CC didn't get to finish before his hand came across her face with a loud crack taking CC to the floor. _

_CC's mouth was bleeding and she was shaking as she looked up and begged the man. "Please, John, I'm sorry. I won't do it again."_

"_Screwing the delivery man? You're nothing but a whore. Chastity… what a joke. If it wasn't for your money I'd have been gone a long time ago." John hauled CC up off the floor and tossed her into a chair. "Don't bother with dinner, I've got a date. Don't wait up." The ape left the room and CC crumbled into a ball and sobbed._

"I don't believe it. I'd never have…" CC started very angrily.

The figure stopped her. "Yes, Chas…that's exactly what you'd have… If Niles hadn't been there that day to stop the tormenting and give a little girl some affection and empowerment, it's exactly where you'd be."

CC opened her mouth to complain. "Now," The figure continued. "Let's see the next 'might have been'. The man I said helped Max get through school…the one you saw leaving he and Sara the day of his graduation? That was Niles, too. The Sheffield's paid for Niles to go to Eton and Oxford so he could help Max; with, the 'condition' that he'd train as a butler and work for Max after graduation."

"I didn't know… He never said anything." CC blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

"He's never told anyone, Chas. Even Max doesn't know about the 'condition'." The figure relayed.

The pictures started moving around again…

_The next set of pictures started flashing up on the screen. Andrew Lloyd Webber paced in his office. "Sheffield!...Sheffield, where are you with those scripts!"_

_Max came running into the office carrying a large pile of scripts and managed to trip on his way to putting them on the desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Webber. I'll get this mess cleaned up straight away."_

"_You know, Sheffield, I had hoped you'd over come failing out of school. I mean, it's been quite some time. But you've been here for years and you're still not doing very well." Andrew Lloyd-Webber wasn't cross with Max more embarrassed for him._

_Max was stacking the scripts on Mr. Webber's desk. "I'm sorry, Mr. Webber, I'll try harder. I really love my work. And my wife, you've met her, Sara? We've just had another baby, that's three and I can't afford to lose this job."_

"_If your father hadn't invested a huge amount of money in my company, I'd have never given you the job. Why don't you just ask your father for money?" Webber practically scoffed._

_Max looked at the floor. "My parents cut me off and rescinded my trust fund when I failed out of school. After all, according to them it wasn't rocket science it was a theatre program."_

"_Well," Webber started. "I suppose you can stay on as long as you don't get in anyone's way."_

"_Oh, thank you, Sir. I'll keep out of the way, Sir. Thank you, Sir." Max backed out of the office._

CC stared at the wall. "Max works for Andrew Lloyd Webber? I can't believe it. Why aren't I there? Why aren't we partners?"

"Max didn't graduate, Chas. You went to work for your father," The figure said flatly.

CC sighed heavily. "I don't like where this is going…"

"Come on, we've got more to watch. These aren't going to be easy, Chas." The figure placed a hand on CC's shoulder. "You remember the pictures of Niles tracking you down and taking you home?" CC nodded. "Well, that happened rather…often just after Sara…"

CC interrupted, "Please, don't say it, I get your meaning…"

"Very well, but you must know that it happened much the same each time…" The figure moved away.

_CC watched herself being supported by the surly man from the earlier pictures. _

"_Almost there, baby. We're almost there." _

_CC looked up. "This isn't my apartment building."_

"_No, baby, this is my apartment building." CC tries to pull away from the man. "Easy now, baby, I promise you'll like it, just be still while I get my key."_

_CC tried to pull away. "I asked you to take me home." CC continued to struggle with the man._

"_I am takin' you home…my home. Now shut up and behave or I may have to get rough." The surly man oozed. He found his key, opened the door and shoved CC inside._

CC sobbed softly. "I didn't say yes…" She whispered to herself. "I didn't give in…"

_The pictures changed again to CC lying in bed crying. "Get out," The surly man said from next to her. "And thanks for the party. Maybe I'll run into you again." The man laughed. He passed by her and tossed CC's dress onto the bed as he went into the bathroom and closed the door._

_CC moved slowly, got dressed and left the apartment solemnly with her shoulders low._

CC watched knowing what happened without having to 'see' what happened. CC sobbed and her shoulders shook from it. "How many times did that happen?"

"It never happened. Not once. I told you these are shadows of what might have been, if not for that one consistency."

CC blinked back the shock in her eyes. "Niles…right? But…why?"

"You'll see…later. Chas," The figure stood and stepped away. "This is the last one, Chas. You need to see how you've behaved…it needs to change, Chas. It needs to change now."

CC looked at the figure, "Why? What's going to happen?" CC asked. The figure just nodded at the wall.

The pictures starting moving again, and CC saw herself lying in her bed, light was streaming in through the slip in her bedroom curtains. She stirred lightly and the picture moved to Niles sleeping in a chair next to her bed.

_CC sprang up in her bed. "What in the hell are you doing here!" CC shrieked at him._

_Niles nearly fell out of the chair with a start. "I was brought you home and you passed out. I was afraid something…"_

_CC pulled the covers up around her. "Why in the hell did you stay?"_

_Niles looked nearly broken. "You asked me to." _

"_Get out!" CC turned her face away from his eyes. "Get out now, Niles!"_

_Niles stood slowly. Handed her the glass of water and aspirin from the nightstand and left the room. CC took the pills and the minute she heard the front door of her apartment close she broke down and cried._

"Niles is right about me. I am a cold hearted bitch." CC wept.

The figure smirked. "Niles' has never said that, Chas. Yes, he's called you the Ice Queen. But if you look beyond the words…" The figure sighed. "Chas…listen to your heart instead of your mother's voice in your head. Please just once, for me." The figure was nearly gone now. "I'm going to leave you with one more set of pictures…remember and learn my dear friend. I've missed you. **Don't waste anymore time, Chas. It's time to tell. Tell him.** Take care of yourself…and take care of him. I'll miss you, Chas. I'll miss you."

CC looked up at the darkness. "I'll miss you too, Sara. Good-bye my friend."

The pictures on the wall moved around again and CC recognized what she saw all too well.

_Niles' face went ghostly white and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed. Then CC was sobbing at his side. "Please, God, no. Don't you dare die on me, Niles." _

_The pictures changed again to CC in the ambulance with the unresponsive Niles. The paramedics worked quickly taking Niles' vital signs and putting in his IV. CC cried, like she'd never recalled crying before, not even when Sara… "Niles…please don't die." CC whispered. CC bent down next to his ear and whispered again. "Don't give up Niles. I need you…I…love you." CC wept again._

"Oh my God, I did say it." CC listened to her own voice say the words. "I love Niles."

Then the pictures moved and changed one last time. _CC was sitting next to Niles' bed and the doctor was standing over Niles. CC leaned down, lightly kissed his lips and whispered again. "It's always been you, Niles. I love you." Then she left and that's when she heard it._

"_Love you...CC." Niles barely whispered._

CC's head dropped into her hands and she wept. She doesn't remember when she laid back down or went back to sleep or if she'd even been awake. But she remembered Sara, she was as real as she'd ever been and she came to tell CC something important. She was who she was in large part due to the love of a man. A man, up until that night, CC thought hated her.

There was a light knock on CC's bedroom door. "Miss Babcock?" The familiar nasal tones rang out from the other side of the door. "Are ya up yet?"

"Come on in, Fran." CC called to the door. "I can be ready in two shakes." Fran watched in shock as CC nearly leapt out of bed and threw on her robe and pulled a brush through her long blonde locks. "Come on…it's Christmas!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to any of the characters of 'The Nanny.'

A/N Pretty much my all time favorite TV couple. I know it's a long time coming, but I really wanted to finally get the story out on paper. Well, I guess it's not really paper but you understand…

**Time To Tell - Finale**

When CC and Fran came down the front stairs into the foyer the rest of the family, including Niles, was waiting to open presents. Niles handed CC a cup of coffee.

"Thanks Niles." CC offered before sitting down on the floor next to Grace.

Niles smiled. "You're welcome, Miss Babcock. Merry Christmas." Niles sat down between Grace and Maggie.

"You know, Niles. You can call me, CC. It's Christmas." Max, Fran and the children found themselves exchanging glances at the odd scene unfolding before them.

"Ok, CC." Niles grinned. "Mr. Sheffield, should I play Santa?"

"Uhm…no thanks, old man, I think I'll do the honors this year." Max was still confused at the new dynamic playing out between Niles and CC.

They all shared a wonderful morning of stories, and gift giving. Everyone loved everything they received. They sat for nearly two full hours and ooohhhhed and aaahhhhed over the clothes, trinkets, toys and jewelry; the silly and the serious gifts alike.

Niles stood. "I'm going to go get dressed, Sir. Then I'll prepare breakfast. Max nodded and Niles was heading up the stairs.

CC leapt up the minute Niles was out of sight. "Maggie, Grace, would you like to help me surprise Niles?" The girls were not only shocked at the request CC was making but that she'd gotten their names correct in the process.

"Uhm…sure, Miss Babcock," Maggie answered. CC turned to Grace.

"Yeah…I'll do anything for Niles." Grace chimed. And the three ladies were off to the kitchen.

CC turned one last time. "Hey, Brighton…you wanna help too?"

Brighton looked between Max and Fran. "Yeah!" He jumped up off the floor and followed after CC and his sisters.

"Max…" Fran started. "What in the hell is happening?"

Max shook his head. "I don't know darling. I don't know." Max and Fran took the opportunity to head upstairs and get themselves showered and dressed. When they returned to the dining room Niles was sitting in the chair at the opposite end of the table from Max's usual place. "What's the matter, old man?"

"I feel like a prisoner on death row." Niles offered.

Fran shook her head and sat down. "Why would you think that, Niles? The kids are in there with CC. They wouldn't let her do anything to your food."

"It's more the state of my kitchen than the food that I'm worried about." The words had barely left his lips when CC and the kids carried in the serving trays brimming with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, scones, and fresh fruit.

"Breakfast is served." The children took their seats and CC made a plate for Niles and placed it in front of him then made her own and sat down. Max, Fran and the kids got up and served themselves.

"Wow, CC, children this is really quite good." Niles commented and smiled at them. "Thank you for this surprise. You are welcome to help in the kitchen whenever you'd like."

Brighton grinned. "Hey, Niles. Don't get used to this, it was all Miss Babcock's idea….Ow!" Maggie kicked Brighton under the table and CC laughed.

"Brighton!" Maggie yelled. "We all helped." Gracie smiled that little smile that still tugged at Niles' heart.

"We did all help, Niles." Grace looked at CC. "But it was all Miss Babcock's idea. She wanted to surprise you and give you the morning off since you'll be tied up most of the day doing dinner."

"Hey, come on…" CC tried to change the subject. "We all need a break now and then. Let's just eat before it gets cold."

The family spent a very nice breakfast chatting and eating until the children excused themselves to finally get dressed. CC took the opportunity to head upstairs to the guest room she was staying in to clean up and get dressed as well. The children and CC had cleared away everything from the dining room and only asked that Niles wait until they were all 'safely upstairs' before going into the kitchen. He did and what he saw nearly gave him another heart attack.

"Well, Mr. Sheffield, Fran, I think I'd better start cleaning up the kitchen or I'll never get dinner started on time." Niles stood up and sighed deeply as he prepared himself for what awaited him in the kitchen. He pushed the door open and gasped loud enough that Fran and Max came practically running to check on him.

Fran shot through the door first. "What's the matta?" What she saw surprised her. The kitchen was immaculately clean. Not a spoon or cup out of place and the dishwasher was softly humming through its cycle.

"Wow," Max offered in shock. "I don't think it's ever been this clean." Then he added, "Well, I mean of course it's been this clean. It's always this clean I just mean that after a big meal it's usually…"

Fran cut him off. "Ok, Honey, stop talking now." Fran gave Niles a little squeeze. "See Scarecrow, nothin' like love." Fran turned and grabbed Max and shoved him out the door.

Niles stood in his kitchen and just looked around in wonder of how they managed it. "They would have had to…"

"Clean as we went…" CC interrupted him. "Isn't that what you always do? Clean as you go?"

Niles looked up and saw CC standing on the bottom step. "Uh…yeah. Thank you, for this and for breakfast."

"You're welcome, Niles." CC met his deep blue eyes with her own pale blue eyes. She heard that voice…_"Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him."_

Niles swallowed hard and the voice was in his head again. _"It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."_

They both opened their mouths just as the children bounded the steps. "Hey, Niles, Brighton spoke first. "Whacha think of the kitchen?"

"Miss Babcock insisted that we clean as we go. She said it was what you do. Keeps ahead of the mess, I guess she was right, huh?" Maggie rubbed Niles' arm as she followed Brighton out of the kitchen.

CC and Niles' eyes remained on each other. Grace seemed to be the only one who noticed. She smiled a little and followed her siblings out of the kitchen.

"Well," Niles finally managed to break the stare. "I suppose I should think about starting on the dinner preparations."

"Uhm…yeah... I better see if Max has anything he wants me to go over." CC slowly walked toward the door as Niles walked around the island to the place where he hangs his jacket while working in the kitchen. When they passed each other their arms touched lightly, and they both stopped for an instant feeling the connection in more than just their arms. Then they both continued on their individual paths.

Niles got the turkey in the oven and started on the rest of the meal. The children, CC, Fran and even Max took turns coming in and offering a little help here and there until it was nearly a full on Sheffield family cooking extravaganza. Brighton thought it would be fun to put the radio on and sing Christmas carols, however, that's not what they got. The first song that came on was Vonda Sheppard singing 'Tell Him'.

"Ooohhh," Fran cooed, "I just love this song. Turn it up, B." Maggie, Grace and Fran did their best 'Supremes' imitation with the radio.

Tell Him

I know something about love, you've gotta want it bad  
If that guys got into your blood, go out and get him  
If you want him to be the very thought of you  
Makes you want to breathe here's the thing to do

Tell him that you're never gonna leave him  
Tell him that you're always gonna love him  
Tell him, tell him, tell him, tell him right now…

CC's eye's got very big after that first chorus and she excused herself.

"What's with her?" Maggie asked Fran. Fran just shrugged and kept singing.

CC meanwhile was at the bar knocking back a shot of Johnny Walker Black. "Sara, I don't know how you did that, but please don't do it again. Just give me a little time will ya?"

Niles came in just about that time. "CC? Are you alright? I thought I heard you talking to someone?"

"Uh…just running something over to myself, I needed to hear how it would sound out loud. Where are you going?" CC noticed Niles was heading to the closet.

"Sylvia was here last night and Fran forgot to mention that she finished all the whipped cream. I'm just off to get some. Would you like anything?" Niles asked as he put on his coat.

CC shook her head. "No thanks. I better go in there and make sure they don't wreck the joint." CC pointed back toward the kitchen.

"Thanks. I'll be right back," Niles said and left.

CC took a deep breath in and blew it out. Then she headed back into the kitchen. It wasn't long before Niles returned. He tossed open the kitchen door to find Brighton doing his best 'Billy Joel' singing the chorus of 'Tell Her About It.' Niles looked like a deer caught in headlights when he heard those words…

Tell Her About It

…Tell her about it tell her everything you feel  
Give her every reason to accept that you're for real  
Tell her about it tell her all your crazy dreams  
Let her know you need her let her know how much she means

Listen boy it's not automatically a certain guarantee  
To insure yourself you've got to provide communication constantly  
When you love someone you're always insecure  
And there's only one good way to reassure

Tell her about it let her know how much you care  
When she can't be with you tell her you wish you were there…

"I forgot to get…orange juice." Niles turned and left the kitchen. He had barely made it to the den before he was practically hyperventilating. "Sara, you can't do that to me. Not in front of everyone. It's not in my nature, you know that."

"Hey…you look like you saw a ghost…you ok?" CC asked when she came out into the den.

"Yeah…I uh…guess I'm not used to so many people in my kitchen. Not to mention the singing and dancing and cooking. It's a little overwhelming to walk in on all that"

"Ok…" CC turned then stopped. "I checked, there's another bottle of orange juice in the fridge, so no need to go back out."

"Oh…good." Niles hoped that Brighton's performance would be finished when he returned.

The rest of the dinner preparations were a blast for everyone. There were many songs and mini-performances but no more 'tell somebody something' type songs.

Dinner was wonderful and everyone felt like they had contributed something to the overall effort. Niles did get most of the credit and Max even suggested he carve the turkey at the table this year. After dinner and dessert where cleared away, cleaned up and the left overs packed into the fridge, the family loaded into the den to watch old home movies. It was sort of a family tradition that Sara had started when Maggie was very young. Max and Fran sat snuggling on the sofa and the children sat on the floor in front of them. Niles sat in the overstuffed chair and CC perched on the arm of the chair next to him. Except for an odd glance from Fran no one else seemed to find it strange.

They had all seen the movies before, but they still laughed and enjoyed them and told stories about each other and Sara. It kept her alive for them all. Fran felt a strange comfort in 'getting to know' Sara this way. Niles and CC seemed strangely melancholy during the later videos. They watched as Sara often stood between them, or made the odd glance from one to the other. Niles heard the voice again. Not coming from the video, but from his memory.

"_It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her." _Niles heard it over and over. It had haunted him all day. Like a strange chant or mantra in his head. _"It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."_

CC found herself leaning on the back of the chair a little bit she looked down at Niles sitting mere inches from her, and the voice rang clearly in her mind. _"Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him." _All day it had played there, over and over. _"Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him."_

When the last of the movies had finished the children excused themselves to bed. Max and Fran sat for a few minutes and chatted with Niles and CC. Fran stood and extended her hand to Max. "Well, Mista, how about we head upstairs?"

Max stood and said, "I think I'm ready, Fran."

"You guys headin' up, too?" Fran asked as Niles stood up from his place in the chair.

"I suppose so." Niles smiled. "Shall I walk you?" He raised an eyebrow and offered his arm to CC who laughed and took it.

"I would be very honored, good Sir." She threw out in her best southern belle voice.

Both couples started off to the stairs, Max and Fran toward the front and Niles and CC toward the back. Just as Niles and CC took the steps up to where the baby grand piano sits Fran called back to them, "Hey you two." Niles and CC stopped. "You're standin' under the mistletoe!" Fran smirked and she and Max started up the stairs leaving Niles and CC.

Niles and CC both looked up at the mistletoe. "When did you put that up?" CC asked him.

"I didn't put that up." Niles answered, both still looking up at the mistletoe, when they heard the voice.

"_Geez, one of you say something!" _They both looked around the room and saw no one.

"_It's time to tell!" _Her voice was a little more forceful this time.

"Sara?" Niles and CC said together. "You heard it too?" Their eyes locked and it was like time had stopped.

Niles heard the whisper in his ear. _"It's time for you to be happy now, Niles. Tell her."_

"_Don't waste anymore time, Chas. Tell him."_ The voice was soft and quiet.

Their eyes were fixed and they didn't even notice that they were moving closer. They were so close that you could barely see the light between them. Suddenly they both felt their hearts pounding and their breathing grow ragged. When they both whispered, "I…love…you." Then their lips met in a kiss that poured out all the pent up passion and desire, the years of yearning and want, the timelessness of their love for each other. When the need to breath became stronger than their need to be connected they broke their kiss and their foreheads met.

"CC, you…really love me?" Niles asked softly.

"It's always been you, Niles." CC answered. "You really love me?"

"Of course, my love. Always have, always will." Niles leaned in and kissed her again.

As they kissed beneath the mistletoe and shared their recently expressed love they heard the voice again…

"_Merry Christmas, my friends."_


End file.
